1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of computer software. More specifically, the invention relates to remotely managing data stored on a networked device via another networked device.
2. Background Art
Server devices, such as data processing and computing systems, typically maintain data and information for access by mobile devices. An increasing number of such mobile devices are configured to interact with and/or obtain data from a server computer via a communication link such as a computer network. Such mobile devices may comprise client computers, Personal Desktop Assistants (PDAs), two-way pagers, and cellular phones. A problem with current mobile devices is that such devices do not provide an efficient method for accessing and managing data maintained in server computers. For example, current mobile devices typically require modification in order for the device to properly communicate with the server.
An existing method for alleviating such problems has been to provide a gateway for each specific type of mobile device using a private communication protocol between the mobile device and the server computer. The gateway is configured to provide users of such mobile devices the ability to access and manage information maintained on the server (e.g., email messages). However such a private protocol is specific to each mobile device, requiring each mobile device to be specifically modified and/or configured to use such a protocol. The server must further include the capability for using a specific/different protocol to communicate with different types of mobile devices. Such methods are inefficient, expensive, and time consuming to implement.
There is therefore a need for an efficient method and system for remotely managing and/or accessing information stored on a networked device via another networked device.
The present invention satisfies these needs by providing mobile devices users with a way to control the type of information supplied to the device by one or more server computers. In an embodiment of the invention, users may accomplish this by transmitting a command message to a bot service which works on behalf of the user and directs the server to respond to the action specified in the command message. The command message provides users with a way to uniformly manage and/or control data residing on the server computer from different types of mobile devices.
One embodiment of the invention provides a method and apparatus for managing data in a network system comprising at least one mobile device (e.g. a PDA, cellular phone, two-way pager, or mobile computer) and at least one server computer connected via an interconnection fabric, wherein the mobile device is registered with the server and configured to issue commands to a bot service using electronic mail messages or some other viable data transmission mechanism. The bot service responds to the commands by interfacing with the server computer to perform the requested action on behalf of the mobile device.
An aspect of the invention provides mobile devices with a mechanism for performing remote operations on an associated service such as an electronic mail queue and/or calendar. Each associated service resides on a server and has a state which may be set by issuing a command message to the bot service. The bot service responds to the command message by instigating the remote operation which in turn causes an action to occur (e.g. it may change the state of an associated service). Such operations may be performed from multiple locations, using different mobile devices, at different periods of time. Each mobile device may interface with the bot service using electronic mail software.
To begin using the system, a mobile device is registered with the bot service. The bot service is configured to interface with the server computer and cause commands to execute on behalf of the user of the mobile. In one embodiment of the invention, command messages are issued to the bot service by transmitting an email message to an address associated with bot service. For example, after registering a mobile device with the bot service, a user of the mobile device may transmit a command message to a network address associated with the bot service (e.g.bot@company.com). The command message specifies one or more actions that are to be performed on behalf of the device. The command message may, for example, direct the server to retrieve, forward, delete, and/or move electronic mail messages. The invention also contemplates other actions such as generating a new message, looking up calendar events, inserting a new event, querying a database, or any other type of action that may be performed on the server and generate a result that is to be displayed on a mobile device. The command message may be transmitted via email or by any other service capable of providing a command message to the bot service.